Iran student leaders say crisis deepening: "Public opposition to Iran's ruling clerical establishment is deepening, a student leader said Saturday, as officials reported that more than 4,000 people were arrested during this month's pro-reform protests."

UK Government Renews Demand for BBC Apology: "A war of words between the Britishgovernment and the BBC over Iraq gained momentum on Saturdayafter the prime minister's press chief appeared on a rivaltelevision channel to renew his demand for an apology. (Reuters)"

Sleepless Days and Nights: ""Bremer is based now in Saddam's former palace with a staff of about six hundred. These six hundred people have so far cost $300 million in salaries and expenses. This is nearly twice the amount paid to-date to 24 million Iraqis in salaries and pensions." Michael Birmingham writes of the bitter reality that has taken shape in Iraq. Michael is currently in Baghdad."

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraq's National Symphony Orchestra held its first concert since the ouster of Saddam Hussein, performing a patriotic song that predates the former dictator and brought tears to the eyes of the audience.

Friday's show was a rare sign of normalcy in Baghdad, an occupied city that lacks basic services like water and electricity, and suffers from continued violence and deep-seated fear.

Saddam Hussein didn't like the song "My Nation," and it was rarely played during his brutal, 35-year rule. Many in the audience -- both men and women -- cried when it was played Friday.

The song is "a message to the world that we are still proud of our country and existence, which we will never sacrifice," orchestra conductor Abdel Razak Al-Azawi said after the concert at Baghdad's convention center.

L. Paul Bremer, the top U.S. official in Iraq, stood up in respect at the start of the song. American soldiers, some sitting with their guns, watched and clapped.

"My nation ... My nation ... Am I going to see you safe, blessed, victorious and esteemed?" the Iraqi audience sang as the orchestra played.

Ghada Monther Al-Taei, a 38-year-old music and ballet teacher, felt a mixture of joy and sorrow. "We never felt freedom throughout our lives," she said.

Security was tight for the concert, with explosives-sniffing dogs, body searches and military checkpoints.

The 50-member Iraqi national symphony played for more than an hour.

The orchestra was founded in 1959. It now lacks spare parts for its instruments and doesn't have enough musical notebooks.

The last time it played was February.

"We don't care about circumstances, we have been through a lot of harsh circumstances at different times," Al-Azawi said. He said he had lost both his children in an attack during Iraq's war with Iran in the 1980s.

"Music is great at taking people away from their pain and suffering," he said.

Copyright (c) 2003, The Associated Press

--------------------

This article originally appeared at:http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-iraq-symphony-orchestra,0,1321635.story

American Soldier Shot at Baghdad Market: "A gunman shot a U.S. soldier in the neck as he browsed a Baghdad market on Friday and American forces accidentally killed an 11-year-old boy, part of a vicious cycle of Iraqi attacks and ever-tougher U.S. crackdowns on resistance. (AP)"

US Soldier Shot in Iraq, Analysts Warn of Revolt: "A U.S. soldier was shot in the head andcritically wounded while shopping in a Baghdad store on Friday,the latest target in a surge of attacks that analysts say couldexplode into open revolt. (Reuters)"

Ex-Iraq info minister evasive on TV: "The once-defiant former Iraqi information minister appeared humbled and evasive in a TV interview aired Friday, describing the fall of the Iraqi regime to coalition forces as an "earthquake" and refusing to blame Saddam Hussein for the war."

Witnesses: U.S. Soldier Shot in Baghdad: "Iraqi witnesses said an American soldier was shot in the neck while shopping and an Army truck struck what appeared to be a land mine Friday, the latest in a series of attacks raising concern that the United States could be confronting a guerrilla war in Iraq. (AP)"

U.S. asks countries to freeze Iraq assets: "Treasury Secretary John Snow is seeking international support to find and freeze financial assets of the former Iraqi government and transfer them to a fund to help rebuild Iraq."

Renegade militants could endanger truce: "Renegade bands of Palestinian militants promise to continue their attacks on Israelis despite an agreement by the main groups for a three-month truce, threatening to collapse the cease-fire before it starts."

Jihad leader says group accepts truce: "An Islamic Jihad leader said Saturday the radical Palestinian group accepted a conditional three-month halt to attacks on Israelis, the first on-the-record comment from a militant leader involved in the truce."

U.S. soldier killed, four wounded in Iraq: "The disquieting drumbeat of guerrilla-style attacks and sabotage deepened in Iraq, with a U.S. soldier killed in an ambush, another shot in the neck and an 11-year-old Iraqi boy slain by American troops who mistook him for a gunman."

Woman gets 50 years in windshield death: "A videotape of Chante Mallard at a nightclub, just one week after she struck a homeless man with her car and left him lodged in the windshield to die, may have been on jurors' minds when they sentenced her to 50 years in prison for murder, attorneys say."

Teen cites firecracker in N.M. wildfire: "A wildfire that menaced parts of the city was started by a firecracker tossed onto a pile of cotton from a cottonwood tree, one of the teens accused in the case told investigators."

Suspected militants kill 4 in Kashmir: "Two suspected Islamic militants stormed an army camp in Kashmir early Saturday, killing 12 soldiers before being slain themselves, as India's president wrapped up a three-day visit to the strife-torn Himalayan region."

At least 20 hurt in Netherlands gas blast: "A large gas explosion ripped through three stores in a crowded shopping district of The Hague Saturday, wounding at least 20 people, eight of them seriously, city officials said."

Goodyear, United Steelworkers stop talks: "The United Steelworkers union has broken off contract talks with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., rejecting an offer made shortly before a midnight strike deadline."

Boston sets record in rout of Marlins: "The Boston Red Sox set a major league record by scoring 10 runs before making an out Friday night and cruised to a 25-8 rout of Florida - but Fenway Park fell silent in the seventh inning with a frightening injury to Marlins pitcher Kevin Olsen."

Search continues for missing U.S. soldiersHelicopters hovered in the air near the city of Balad on Friday, and Army Humvees and tanks roared through area streets as U.S. troops searched for two soldiers who disappeared Wednesday morning while on guard duty near this small town north of Baghdad. The full article will be available on the Web for a limited time: http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/special_packages/iraq/6187227.htm (c) 2003 KRT Wire and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.

NYTimes.com Article: G.I. Dies, Others Are Wounded in New Ambushes in Iraq

This article from NYTimes.com has been sent to you by spliffslips@aol.com.

Fort Sill Soldiers Missing

spliffslips@aol.com

/-------------------- advertisement -----------------------Explore more of Starbucks at Starbucks.com.http://www.starbucks.com/default.asp?ci=1015\----------------------------------------------------------/

G.I. Dies, Others Are Wounded in New Ambushes in Iraq

June 28, 2003By EDMUND L. ANDREWS

BAGHDAD, Iraq, June 27 - American soldiers came under fireagain today across Iraq, with one soldier shot in the headand wounded while shopping and another killed in an ambushlate last night near the southern city of Najaf.

Meanwhile, Army troops searching for two missing soldiersfound their Humvee early this evening, according to anofficial who spoke on condition of anonymity. The discoverycame after soldiers had detained three men for questioningin the case, but the official said the Humvee showed nosigns of blood or any immediate clue as to what hadhappened to the soldiers.

Pentagon officials said they themselves had scant detailson the men's disappearance. "All we know right now is we dohave two soldiers who are missing from their appointedplace of duty," Gen. Peter Pace, the vice chairman of theJoint Chiefs of Staff, said in Washington. "We do not knowthe specifics of what happened or why."

The Army identified the missing soldiers as Sgt. FirstClass Gladimir Phillippe, 37, of Linden, N.J., and Pfc.Kevin Ott, 27, of Columbus, Ohio.

The latest attacks were similar to those carried out withincreasing frequency over the last several weeks, and wellbeyond the cities just north of Baghdad that werestrongholds of support for Saddam Hussein and where most ofthe early attacks took place.

In Washington, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld saidthe attacks did not rise to the level of organizedguerrilla warfare. "I don't know that I would use theword," he said after a closed meeting with senators onCapitol Hill.

Mr. Rumsfeld said many of the attackers were commoncriminals, as well as the remnants of Mr. Hussein'sFedayeen Saddam and Baath Party."They are out doing thingsthat are unhelpful to the coalition, and the coalition istaking every step possible to root them out," he said.

One of today's incidents occurred in Kadhimiya, one of thebusiest shopping districts in Baghdad. An area populatedprimarily by Shiite Muslims, Kadhimiya has been one of themost peaceful neighborhoods of Baghdad and has not beenknown for anti-American hostility.

In today's attack, an unknown assailant shot a soldier inthe head and badly wounded him while he was trying to buyvideo discs from a sidewalk vendor. Several witnesses saidthey heard a shot ring out, saw the soldier's body lying onthe ground and began to flee out of fear that Americansoldiers nearby would retaliate with more gunfire.

The shooting occurred about 11 a.m., just a few hundredyards from a mosque that attracts thousands of worshipersfor Friday Prayers.

According to the United States Central Command, a soldierwas killed in a small town near Najaf while investigating acar theft.

Najaf, a holy city for Shiite Muslims, had also beencomparatively peaceful until the last few days. Though manythere were unhappy about the presence of Americanoccupation forces, the city is both geographically andculturally distant from the Sunni-dominated cities north ofBaghdad.

There were other violent incidents today. Unidentifiedattackers fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a logisticsconvoy near the city of Balad, about 60 miles north ofBaghdad, injuring one soldier. According to The AssociatedPress, an Army truck hit an explosive device north ofBaghdad and several wounded Americans had to be evacuatedby helicopter.

At the 28th Combat Support Hospital, about 40 miles southof Baghdad, doctors were grappling for a second day withnear record numbers of wounded, Iraqis as well asAmericans. "People don't understand what a dangerousenvironment it is here just to be walking around," said Dr.Denver Perkins, the hospital's chief of staff. Though manyof the incoming patients are being treated for illnessesand accidental injuries, he said, the current surge ofemergencies stems primarily from attacks on soldiers.

On Thursday, an exceptionally heavy day, eight soldierswere injured and one was killed on the road to the BaghdadInternational Airport, when their Humvee drove over whatappears to have been a remote-controlled bomb.

Though not significant from a military standpoint, theattacks have made American troops much jumpier and morevulnerable to making deadly mistakes. A few days ago,American soldiers entered a neighborhood here known as NewBaghdad just as an Iraqi man was firing a gun in the air.

Residents said that the Iraqi man was not aiming atanybody, but that the American soldiers quickly fired atthe man, killing a bystander, and eventually fired dozensof bullets into the walls and windows of stores along thestreet.

Meanwhile, American military officials are also strugglingto prevent acts of sabotage against electrical powerplants, water pumping stations, sewage systems andpipelines that transport oil and gas.

Today, most of Baghdad had little or no electric power forthe fifth straight day. The widespread power failures haveforced people to live without fans or air-conditioners astemperatures rise to more than 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Theloss of power has also disrupted water supplies and sewagesystems, both of which rely on electric pumps.

"We cannot work, we cannot do anything," said Sultan AliKazimi, a jewelry trader in Kadhimiya. "How is it that allthe military bases have electricity and we don't? Theypromised to deliver us these things, but they have notdelivered on those promises."

To help the reconstruction effort, five national securitypolicy experts, led by a former deputy defense secretary,John Hamre, left Washington for Iraq this week at theinvitation of the Pentagon.

Mr. Hamre heads the Center for Strategic and InternationalStudies, which published two detailed reports this year onthe rebuilding effort in Iraq. The reports came to theattention of Mr. Rumsfeld, who aides said was impressedenough to help arrange the 12-day trip.

A senior Defense Department spokesman, Larry Di Rita, saidthe team's mission in no way impugned the work of L. PaulBremer III, the top American administrator in Iraq, whoalso invited the team. "This team wasn't dispatched torescue Bremer because Bremer doesn't need rescuing," Mr. DiRita said.

Get Home Delivery of The New York Times Newspaper. Imaginereading The New York Times any time & anywhere you like!Leisurely catch up on events & expand your horizons. Enjoynow for 50% off Home Delivery! Click here:

http://www.nytimes.com/ads/nytcirc/index.html

HOW TO ADVERTISE---------------------------------For information on advertising in e-mail newsletters or other creative advertising opportunities with The New York Times on the Web, please contactonlinesales@nytimes.com or visit our online media kit at http://www.nytimes.com/adinfo

New Iraqi Police Garner Some Respect: "It wasn't a big bust, but the Iraqi police pulled it off with apparent aplomb, thanks to some mentoring from the U.S. military. A marketplace was sealed off, a teahouse raided, and 15 traffickers of drugs and weapons are now in jail. (AP)"

U.S. Sends Private Advisers to Assess Iraq Effort: "The Pentagon has sent a group ofprivate experts with extensive experience in the Clintonadministration to assess postwar reconstruction efforts in Iraqamid stubborn instability and escalating attacks on U.S. andBritish troops, officials said on Friday. (Reuters)"

Senate Confirms New Iraq Commander: "The Senate on Friday confirmed Army Lt. Gen. John Abizaid to replace Gen. Tommy Franks as head of U.S. Central Command, a position that includes responsibility for U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. (AP)"

A Soldiers Blog UpdatesNew Iraqi Police Garner Some Respect: "It wasn't a big bust, but the Iraqi police pulled it off with apparent aplomb, thanks to some mentoring from the U.S. military. A marketplace was sealed off, a teahouse raided, and 15 traffickers of drugs and weapons are now in jail. (AP)"

U.S. Sends Private Advisers to Assess Iraq Effort: "The Pentagon has sent a group ofprivate experts with extensive experience in the Clintonadministration to assess postwar reconstruction efforts in Iraqamid stubborn instability and escalating attacks on U.S. andBritish troops, officials said on Friday. (Reuters)"

Senate Confirms New Iraq Commander: "The Senate on Friday confirmed Army Lt. Gen. John Abizaid to replace Gen. Tommy Franks as head of U.S. Central Command, a position that includes responsibility for U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. (AP)"

Senate Approves Abizaid to Head Centcom: "The Senate confirmed a Middle Eastexpert of Lebanese descent on Friday to replace Gen. TommyFranks as head of the U.S. Central Command that oversees hotspots of Iraq and Afghanistan. (Reuters)"

US sends policy experts to assess Iraq situation: "A group of policy experts from outside the government left for Iraq to provide Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and US administrator Paul Bremer with an informal assessment of the post-war situation in the country, a Pentagon spokesman said. (AFP)"

War Blog Iraq War UpdatesIraq Democracy Watch: "Turning in the widening gyre The Financial Times has the scoop of the day, with a report that, "The Pentagon has sent a team of outside policy experts to conduct an independent review of postwar operations in Iraq amid growing criticism that the US failed to prepare adequately for occupation." But even more important, the FT summarizes an intelligence report from Kroll, a corporate security group, geared toward would-be investors. Out of four possible scenarios, a "stable, soft landing," "complete fragmentation," a "wobbly landing," or an "Iraqi revolt," the last two are considered by far the most likely. With an Iraqi revolt getting an "even" chance. I would put my money, currently, on the Iraqi revolt. Cross your fingers I am dead wrong. Nonetheless, the Guardian quotes "US officers" as saying that attacks are increasing. And the Washington Post has a couple of scary quotes:

"I thought we were holding our own until this week, and now I'm not sure," said retired Air Force Col. Richard M. Atchison... "If we don't get this operation moving soon, the opposition will continue to grow, and we will have a much larger problem."Jeffrey White, a former Defense Intelligence Agency expert on Arab military issues, said, "There are a lot of worrisome aspects about the current situation. Resistance is spreading geographically, resistance groups seem to be proliferating in Sunni areas, resistance elements appear to be tactically adaptive, resistance elements appear to be drawn from multiple elements of Sunni society, our operations inevitably create animosity by inflicting civilian casualties, disrupting lives, humiliating people and damaging property."

And, the Guardian says, yesterday Al Jazeera had word from TWO new resistance groups (not one, as I said yesterday). The Popular Resistance for the Liberation of Iraq brings my running list to nine. (I'll start posting the list regularly if it continues to grow.) Meanwhile, the NYT reports that yesterday was "...a fourth straight day with little or no electricity. Continued acts of sabotage have reduced living conditions to 19th-century levels...[and] Gasoline lines have reappeared as filling stations have had to cut their work hours." Furthermore, according to the Post , "Iraqis are using buckets to draw water from the Tigris River..." And Middle East On-line reports that the topic of conversation of the day in the cafes of Baghdad is, "Who was worse, Saddam or the Americans?" That apparently keeps people going for quite some time. "

Leader of Iraqi Shiite group opposes violence against coalition: "The leader of a key Iraqi Shiite movement said he opposed violence against the governing US-led coalition following a spate of attacks against US and British troops in largely Shiite areas, saying he preferred peaceful means to bring about an end to the occupation. (AFP)"

LONDON -- Lance Cpl. Thomas Keys thought he was wasting his time trying to train Iraqis to police themselves, and couldn't wait to come home.

But Keys, 20, due home from Iraq in two weeks after four months, never made it back to Britain. He was the youngest of six Royal Military Police killed Tuesday in the southern town of Majar al-Kabir, reportedly by an angry mob who attacked a police station.

"He was trying to train the Iraqis to police themselves, but he felt he was wasting his time. They were always fighting among themselves," Sally Keys said Thursday of her son, who won a bravery medal as a paratrooper in Sierra Leone when he was 18.

The deaths of the six "Red Caps" -- so called for the color of their berets -- has stunned their tightly knit unit, the 156 Provost Company.

"Everyone thought the war was over," said the Rev. Nick Cook, senior chaplain at the unit's Colchester garrison base in southern England, where the regiment's blue and red flag was flown at half mast and flowers adorned the gates.

Maj. Bryn Parry-Jones, the commanding officer of the six slain men, said the soldiers, ranging in age from 20 to 41, "had between them a wealth of operational experience and distinguished service."

Keys, a former paratrooper who would have celebrated his 21st birthday on Saturday, inspired his younger brother Richard, 18, to join the army.

In Chessington, southern England, 81-year-old Teresa Hamilton-Jewell grieved privately at home for her son, Sgt. Simon Hamilton-Jewell, at 41 the oldest and most senior man to die.

A martial arts expert, Hamilton-Jewell joined the army in 1988 and had served in Germany, Northern Ireland, Sarajevo and Sudan.

"His mother always had a fear, like every mother does when their son or daughter is fighting in the war, that one day something could happen, and sadly in this case it has," neighbor Barbara Bolkus said.

The parents of Cpl. Simon Miller, 21, from Washington, Tyne and Wear in northern England, asked to be left alone to grieve. Miller was remembered by friends from his high school days as a popular student with a passion for playing soccer.

One friend, Paul Latimer, 21, said Miller, a former mechanic who joined the army in 2000, had recently gotten engaged.

"I can't believe he has gone. It only seems two minutes since we were at school without a care in the world," Latimer said.

Iraq was the first operational tour for Lt. Cpl. Ben Hyde, 23, from Northallerton, northern England. He joined the army in 2001.

"The red beret was all he ever wanted. It was his life, so he gave his life doing the job he loved most," said John Hyde, adding that his son worked hard to achieve his goal of becoming a military policeman. "He was also a loving son who will be sorely missed."

Cpl. Paul Long, 24, a radio operator, was also on his first tour when he was killed. He leaves a wife, Anna, and a young son.

Cpl. Russell Aston, who celebrated his 30th birthday while in Iraq, told his wife, Anna, in an emotional phone call on Saturday how much he was looking forward to seeing her and their 17-month-old daughter Paygan. It was the last time they spoke.

"He was such a kind and special person with a smashing sense of humor, he could get on with anyone he met," Anna Aston said in a statement released jointly with Aston's parents Glenice and Mike. "When he walked into a room he filled it with his height and presence."

Copyright (c) 2003, The Associated Press

--------------------

This article originally appeared at:http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-britain-iraq-victims,0,962847.story

LONDON -- Lance Cpl. Thomas Keys thought he was wasting his time trying to train Iraqis to police themselves, and couldn't wait to come home.

But Keys, 20, due home from Iraq in two weeks after four months, never made it back to Britain. He was the youngest of six Royal Military Police killed Tuesday in the southern town of Majar al-Kabir, reportedly by an angry mob who attacked a police station.

"He was trying to train the Iraqis to police themselves, but he felt he was wasting his time. They were always fighting among themselves," Sally Keys said Thursday of her son, who won a bravery medal as a paratrooper in Sierra Leone when he was 18.

The deaths of the six "Red Caps" -- so called for the color of their berets -- has stunned their tightly knit unit, the 156 Provost Company.

"Everyone thought the war was over," said the Rev. Nick Cook, senior chaplain at the unit's Colchester garrison base in southern England, where the regiment's blue and red flag was flown at half mast and flowers adorned the gates.

Maj. Bryn Parry-Jones, the commanding officer of the six slain men, said the soldiers, ranging in age from 20 to 41, "had between them a wealth of operational experience and distinguished service."

Keys, a former paratrooper who would have celebrated his 21st birthday on Saturday, inspired his younger brother Richard, 18, to join the army.

In Chessington, southern England, 81-year-old Teresa Hamilton-Jewell grieved privately at home for her son, Sgt. Simon Hamilton-Jewell, at 41 the oldest and most senior man to die.

A martial arts expert, Hamilton-Jewell joined the army in 1988 and had served in Germany, Northern Ireland, Sarajevo and Sudan.

"His mother always had a fear, like every mother does when their son or daughter is fighting in the war, that one day something could happen, and sadly in this case it has," neighbor Barbara Bolkus said.

The parents of Cpl. Simon Miller, 21, from Washington, Tyne and Wear in northern England, asked to be left alone to grieve. Miller was remembered by friends from his high school days as a popular student with a passion for playing soccer.

One friend, Paul Latimer, 21, said Miller, a former mechanic who joined the army in 2000, had recently gotten engaged.

"I can't believe he has gone. It only seems two minutes since we were at school without a care in the world," Latimer said.

Iraq was the first operational tour for Lt. Cpl. Ben Hyde, 23, from Northallerton, northern England. He joined the army in 2001.

"The red beret was all he ever wanted. It was his life, so he gave his life doing the job he loved most," said John Hyde, adding that his son worked hard to achieve his goal of becoming a military policeman. "He was also a loving son who will be sorely missed."

Cpl. Paul Long, 24, a radio operator, was also on his first tour when he was killed. He leaves a wife, Anna, and a young son.

Cpl. Russell Aston, who celebrated his 30th birthday while in Iraq, told his wife, Anna, in an emotional phone call on Saturday how much he was looking forward to seeing her and their 17-month-old daughter Paygan. It was the last time they spoke.

"He was such a kind and special person with a smashing sense of humor, he could get on with anyone he met," Anna Aston said in a statement released jointly with Aston's parents Glenice and Mike. "When he walked into a room he filled it with his height and presence."

Copyright (c) 2003, The Associated Press

--------------------

This article originally appeared at:http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-britain-iraq-victims,0,962847.story

LONDON -- Lance Cpl. Thomas Keys thought he was wasting his time trying to train Iraqis to police themselves, and couldn't wait to come home.

But Keys, 20, due home from Iraq in two weeks after four months, never made it back to Britain. He was the youngest of six Royal Military Police killed Tuesday in the southern town of Majar al-Kabir, reportedly by an angry mob who attacked a police station.

"He was trying to train the Iraqis to police themselves, but he felt he was wasting his time. They were always fighting among themselves," Sally Keys said Thursday of her son, who won a bravery medal as a paratrooper in Sierra Leone when he was 18.

The deaths of the six "Red Caps" -- so called for the color of their berets -- has stunned their tightly knit unit, the 156 Provost Company.

"Everyone thought the war was over," said the Rev. Nick Cook, senior chaplain at the unit's Colchester garrison base in southern England, where the regiment's blue and red flag was flown at half mast and flowers adorned the gates.

Maj. Bryn Parry-Jones, the commanding officer of the six slain men, said the soldiers, ranging in age from 20 to 41, "had between them a wealth of operational experience and distinguished service."

Keys, a former paratrooper who would have celebrated his 21st birthday on Saturday, inspired his younger brother Richard, 18, to join the army.

In Chessington, southern England, 81-year-old Teresa Hamilton-Jewell grieved privately at home for her son, Sgt. Simon Hamilton-Jewell, at 41 the oldest and most senior man to die.

A martial arts expert, Hamilton-Jewell joined the army in 1988 and had served in Germany, Northern Ireland, Sarajevo and Sudan.

"His mother always had a fear, like every mother does when their son or daughter is fighting in the war, that one day something could happen, and sadly in this case it has," neighbor Barbara Bolkus said.

The parents of Cpl. Simon Miller, 21, from Washington, Tyne and Wear in northern England, asked to be left alone to grieve. Miller was remembered by friends from his high school days as a popular student with a passion for playing soccer.

One friend, Paul Latimer, 21, said Miller, a former mechanic who joined the army in 2000, had recently gotten engaged.

"I can't believe he has gone. It only seems two minutes since we were at school without a care in the world," Latimer said.

Iraq was the first operational tour for Lt. Cpl. Ben Hyde, 23, from Northallerton, northern England. He joined the army in 2001.

"The red beret was all he ever wanted. It was his life, so he gave his life doing the job he loved most," said John Hyde, adding that his son worked hard to achieve his goal of becoming a military policeman. "He was also a loving son who will be sorely missed."

Cpl. Paul Long, 24, a radio operator, was also on his first tour when he was killed. He leaves a wife, Anna, and a young son.

Cpl. Russell Aston, who celebrated his 30th birthday while in Iraq, told his wife, Anna, in an emotional phone call on Saturday how much he was looking forward to seeing her and their 17-month-old daughter Paygan. It was the last time they spoke.

"He was such a kind and special person with a smashing sense of humor, he could get on with anyone he met," Anna Aston said in a statement released jointly with Aston's parents Glenice and Mike. "When he walked into a room he filled it with his height and presence."

Copyright (c) 2003, The Associated Press

--------------------

This article originally appeared at:http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-britain-iraq-victims,0,962847.story

A US soldier stands over an arrested Iraqi looter after being caught in a burnt out building in Baghdad. Since the US-led invasion of Iraq (news - web sites), attacks on British and US troops have increased around the country, with soldiers serving in these armies killed and injured.(AFP/Timothy A. Clary)

Search for Saddam Goes Into High Gear: "The hunt for Saddam Hussein is taking on new urgency with the rise in attacks on coalition forces, and officials say the uncertainty of his fate has been a rallying point for anti-U.S. sentiment. (AP)"

U.S. troops search for missing soldiers: "American troops and helicopters scoured the desert Thursday for two U.S. soldiers who were apparently abducted from an observation post north of Baghdad. Ambushes and hostile fire elsewhere in Iraq killed at least one U.S. soldier and two Iraqi civilians and wounded eight other Americans."

Militant groups agree to cease-fire: "Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said Thursday that a formal cease-fire announcement was imminent after Palestinian negotiators secured a commitment from Islamic militants to halt attacks on Israelis for three months."

Crews begin assault on N.M. wildfire: "Helicopters began the assault on a suspected arson wildfire at daybreak Thursday, dropping giant buckets of water on flames in a riverside forest about five miles north of town."

2 U.S. soldiers killed by Iraqi ambushes: "Assailants launched a wave of ambushes against U.S. forces in Iraq, dropping grenades from an overpass, blowing up a vehicle with a roadside bomb and destroying a civilian SUV traveling with U.S. troops, soldiers and Iraqi police said Thursday. Two U.S. soldiers and two Iraqi civilians were killed."

Labor Dept. suing Enron over pensions: "Enron Corp. and some former executives violated pension laws by allowing employees to accumulate overpriced company stock in retirement plans that collapsed with the company, according to a Labor Department suit."

First-quarter growth slower than thought: "The economy was more sluggish in the first three months of 2003 than previously thought and grew at a poky annual rate of just 1.4 percent, underscoring the country's struggles to break through its economic lethargy."

Stock prices set to open higher: "U.S. stocks are set to open higher Thursday with investors fully digesting the Federal Reserve's 25-basis-point cut in interest rates and turning their attention again to corporate updates and profits."

Militants deny truce on Israel attacks: "Islamic militants agreed to halt attacks on Israelis for three months, Palestinian negotiators said Wednesday. But the tenuous deal was immediately undercut by an Israeli airstrike and Hamas threats of revenge."

British forces hunt for gunmen in Iraq: "British forces hunted on Wednesday for Iraqis who killed six of their colleagues during a shooting rampage in which gunmen overwhelmed a group of badly outnumbered military police - including four cornered inside a police station."

Explosive remnants of war in Iraq: "The term ERW describes a wide range of explosive munitions remaining in an area after the end of a conflict, a deadly threat to the population. Since the end of the conflict in Iraq dozens of victims have been reported in southern Iraq alone."

Occupational Hazards: ""If in the coming months you begin to notice cutbacks in your children's schools, your libraries, your public transportation, remember this: our leaders decided to fund military occupation there rather than vital services here. And what's worse: if we fail to provide services in Iraq-services that will be expensive--we should expect nothing but chaos and violence from the occupation." Elliott Colla of the Middle East Research and Information Project assesses the challenges awaiting the US as an occupying power in Iraq."

Iraqis themselves must make the decisions that affect them - UN envoy: "Reiterating that it was vital that the Iraqis themselves make all decisions affecting them, United Nations envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello today continued wide-ranging consultations with a full spectrum of the country's society, meeting with a group of eminent jurists to discuss reform of the justice system."

Deadly waste returned to US forces: "They claimed they were after weapons of mass destruction, but then allowed nuclear material to be carried off by the barrel. They said errant nuclear waste poses no health threat to the people in Iraq, but then denied access to experts."

Iraqi townspeople enraged over civilian deaths were allegedly behind Tuesday's attack that killed six British military police officers during a demonstration in southern Iraq, a local policeman said Wednesday. A municipal official says British forces are giving civilian leaders 48 hours to hand over the gunmen responsible for the attack.

Britain Demands Surrender of Iraqi Gunmen: "British forces gave civilian leaders in this town 48 hours to hand over gunmen who killed six military policemen after a violent demonstration that left four Iraqi civilians dead, a municipal official said Wednesday. (AP)"

Report: Iran Exiles Got Funds From Saddam: "An Iranian opposition group under scrutiny in France had planned to assassinate former members suspected of betraying the movement, according to a report by France's counterintelligence agency. (AP)"

"We're coming with a mighty force to end the reign of your
oppressors," Bush said, addressing Iraqis who might be
listening from afar. "We are coming to bring you food and
medicine and a better life. And we are coming and we will
not stop, we will not relent until your country is free."
We are very proud of you,Keep your helmet on!

Soldiers Blogs Messages and Breaking News
Support Your Troops ! Many brave soldiers will be far from home during the holidays please help us support them through it.SUPPORT OUR TROOPS
E-Mail Us for more information brandonblog@aol.com